# Couldn't of/couldn't have **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 15, 2020, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couldnt-of-couldnt-have/918156 "2020-08-15T05:34:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2020, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couldnt-of-couldnt-have/918156/1 "2020-08-15T05:34:49Z")
The contraction of “could not have” is “couldn’t have.” Not “couldn’t of”. Sorry for a short rant but fuck I hate this. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2020, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couldnt-of-couldnt-have/918156/2 "2020-08-15T05:36:37Z")
You and me both, buddy. Thing is, a lot of regional dialects pronounce it that way, so the typo will follow. Doesn’t nearly get up my gander up as much as “irregardless” does. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2020, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couldnt-of-couldnt-have/918156/3 "2020-08-15T05:39:42Z")
But it’s important to note that it is often (usually?) contracted further in speech to “couldn’t’ve”. In some dialects, this is phonetically indistinguishable from “couldn’t of”. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2020, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couldnt-of-couldnt-have/918156/4 "2020-08-15T05:41:01Z")
Yes. What I was trying to say. Thank you! Still, it is grammatically incorrect. Or just use it in quotes when writing that dialect in a cool novel. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![gnarator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gnarator/32/8266_2.png) [@gnarator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnarator)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2020, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couldnt-of-couldnt-have/918156/5 "2020-08-15T05:41:22Z")
Me too. Drives me fucking crazy. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2020, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couldnt-of-couldnt-have/918156/6 "2020-08-15T05:48:01Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > Still, it is grammatically incorrect. Yes, presumably the phonetic similarity leads to the mistake. It’s there without the negation, too - “could’ve” sounds like “could of”. What I’m not sure of - because of the difference among dialects, do people mistakenly think the error (in speech) is more prevalent than it really is? Do people _think_ other people are saying “could of”, when they are actually saying “could’ve”? ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2020, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couldnt-of-couldnt-have/918156/7 "2020-08-15T06:02:38Z")
I actually wrote it that way but it felt weird even though I knew it was the right way to type it. I’ll be honest and say I get that people type it because of the phonetic sound. Not really a Pit-worthy complaint but didn’t know where to put it. However if you get me going on “amazing” it’s going to be a long day. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2020, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couldnt-of-couldnt-have/918156/8 "2020-08-15T06:54:30Z")
Drives me crazy too. Almost as much as using “it’s” as a possessive. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2020, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couldnt-of-couldnt-have/918156/9 "2020-08-15T08:37:15Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > But it’s important to note that it is often (usually?) contracted further in speech to “couldn’t’ve”. In some dialects, this is phonetically indistinguishable from “couldn’t of”. True. But you spelled it right the first time. Double contractions may not be used in standard written English, but they’ve long been used in spoken English. I think the fact people don’t see them written (since they don’t look at recorded dialect) may be why the “couldn’t of” spelling came about, and then extended to uses without the negative. Personally, though, I say shouldn-nve. The T, which normally gets swallowed in shouldn’t, gets completely eliminated in the double contraction. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2020, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couldnt-of-couldnt-have/918156/10 "2020-08-15T08:38:00Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Drives me crazy too. Almost as much as using “it’s” as a possessive. It doesn’t help that I’m actually seeing autocorrect change my “its” to “it’s”. It’s maddening. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2020, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couldnt-of-couldnt-have/918156/11 "2020-08-15T09:28:50Z")
“Could of” in speech does not bother me; what bugs me is those who write “of” instead of “have”. IIRC, there is a recent thread on this board with “of” instead of the correct “have” in the title. The other things related to this that bug me are: using “I” instead of “me” as an object pronoun, using “myselr” instead of “me”, using apostrope s for a plural instead of just using the s, and of course, misusing “its” and “it’s”. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2020, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couldnt-of-couldnt-have/918156/12 "2020-08-15T10:52:58Z")
Makes me wince a bit, but it’s become so prevalent it’s likely never going to go away, and will soon enough become “correct”. There are several words (hundreds, maybe) we use now that were originally spelled and pronounced differently, but we distorted them so much that etymologically they lose their sense, but seem right to us now. “Could of” is very likely going that way too. Sometimes I get annoyed at “alright” when it is more correct to say “all right” but considering we have always, although, also, already, etc, it really ought to be “alright” and it’s really just the last one to resist. One I will never get past, though, is the misuse of possessive apostrophes after S words, when it’s supposed to be only after the plural S, not any word or name that ends with an S. It should be Chris’s, not Chris’. Argh! ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2020, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couldnt-of-couldnt-have/918156/13 "2020-08-15T11:17:05Z")
“Could of”, and “should of”, etc. are unacceptable and should be forever. There’s no excuse for that illiteracy. I learned this in like grade 5. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2020, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couldnt-of-couldnt-have/918156/14 "2020-08-15T12:30:30Z")
The SAT/ACT people scour the internet looking for such errors-I’ve seen them tested, on both tests. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2020, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couldnt-of-couldnt-have/918156/15 "2020-08-15T15:30:06Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > Makes me wince a bit, but it’s become so prevalent it’s likely never going to go away, and will soon enough become “correct”. There are several words (hundreds, maybe) we use now that were originally spelled and pronounced differently, but we distorted them so much that etymologically they lose their sense, but seem right to us now. “Could of” is very likely going that way too. Agreed. Looks annoyingly illiterate to me, but we’re increasingly stuck with it. As other said above, it’s less-literate people converting spoken/heard speech to text. One thing the internet has done in spades is give every monkey a typewriter. One with enormous reach to the other monkeys. We are seeing the democratization of spelling and grammar before our very eyes. Those used to be the province of dictionary and textbook writers and teachers of all levels. Not anymore. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2020, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couldnt-of-couldnt-have/918156/16 "2020-08-15T15:34:31Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > “Could of” in speech does not bother me; what bugs me is those who write “of” instead of “have”. IIRC, there is a recent thread on this board with “of” instead of the correct “have” in the title. I believe you’re thinking of > [@Could biden of beaten trump in the ' 16 election?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-biden-of-beaten-trump-in-the-16-election/918044/1): > > I remember back in 16 everyone and his 4th cousin wanted Biden to run when he was still in the glow of the Obama admin and he had a bunch of reasons of why he didn’t want to (something he seriously regrets at least not running in the primaries apparently) > > But say he did run and win the nom would the tide of “get that moslem ni–er and all he stands for out of the white house and America” sewage of overwhelmed him also? > > Note that was the quote used for the exact reason I was told that people voted for trump in these parts … as long as a candidate promised that they’d of voted for a potted pant apparently Which is fingernails on a chalk board as the OP keeps repeating his novel spelling, run on sentences, shifting grammatical POVs, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2020, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couldnt-of-couldnt-have/918156/17 "2020-08-15T15:38:01Z")
At least one dictionary out there has added “irregardless”. There are days when I _hate_ descriptivist dictionaries. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2020, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couldnt-of-couldnt-have/918156/18 "2020-08-15T15:59:29Z")
My sloppy dialect makes it “couldn’t’a,” and actually the “t” is silent. Relax, I didn’t breed, it dies wid me. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2020, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couldnt-of-couldnt-have/918156/19 "2020-08-15T16:02:09Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > There are days when I _hate_ descriptivist dictionaries. We usually just call them “dictionaries”. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2020, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couldnt-of-couldnt-have/918156/20 "2020-08-15T17:21:24Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > > [@Locrian](#): > > > > Still, it is grammatically incorrect. > > Yes, presumably the phonetic similarity leads to the mistake. It’s there without the negation, too - “could’ve” sounds like “could of”. > > What I’m not sure of - because of the difference among dialects, do people mistakenly think the error (in speech) is more prevalent than it really is? Do people _think_ other people are saying “could of”, when they are actually saying “could’ve”? Every time I see that, I have a little internal debate with myself, usually coming to the conclusion that if the writer had received an adequate education, they wouldna made the mistake… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couldnt-of-couldnt-have/918156.md?page=2)